


Fear

by Riac_Rex



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-01-03 17:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21183122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riac_Rex/pseuds/Riac_Rex
Summary: FaceEverythingAndRiseForgetEverythingAndRunFight or flight? A delicate balance; but one that Arietta had mastered. She's feared and wanted for one reason - utilising both skills made her quite deadly.She's cornered one night, and risks her life to escape. They never saw her face, only the blood dripping from it. The Town Guard's Captain is suspicious, the Lieutenant is convinced. She has to play her cards right if she wants to survive.Then word gets out of the King's illness, but the request of his assassination remains hidden. Until rumour of her secret is leaked. Now, she'll have to make a decision where the outcome could mean war. Only one may leave the Capital, but who will it be - the assassin, the corpse, or the Healer?**SLOW UPDATES****STRONG LANGUAGE**





	1. Fight or Flight?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheRoyalKatra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoyalKatra/gifts).

The rain fell in heavy, icy sheets that night. My navy cloak did poorly little to stop the rain from soaking into my skin. Puddles splashed around my feet as I ran, seeping through the seams of my leather boots. I turned through narrow streets and alleys this way and that, trying to lose the guards on my tail.

Despite the howling winds and roaring torrents, I could clearly hear them behind me shouting both to each other and to me. I was running out of options as I continued around corners left and right, stumbling every now and again. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder to see at least a dozen men in silver armour, all wielding swords and spears and bows with quivers of arrows. I made a sharp right turn and found myself trapped at a dead end between three shadowy walls.

The guards blocked the alleyway entrance, all breathing heavily. Heart pounding and breath shallow, I quickly thought about my options: fight? Too many guards. Surrender? Out of the question. I stepped backwards until my back touched the wet cobbled brick. Fleeing seemed to be my only chance. I slowly reached inside my cloak and unsheathed three small throwing knives.

Without thinking much about _what_ I was aiming at, I threw the knives at the guards full force and started up the walls.

A sharp yelp told me that at least one knife hit a mark.

I climbed the first few feet using odd bricks as grip, then leapt to one of the adjacent walls. I kept going, back and forth between this wall and the one opposite, getting closer and closer to the rooftops. I paused only when a spear struck the brick below my feet. It failed to hold and simply fell to the floor. I didn't stop moving now. I couldn't stop. Not even when I felt an arrow head slide deeply across my left arm, burying itself.

I eventually reached my goal. And as I looked back over my shoulder once more, another arrow whizzed by my face, this one slicing a fine gash over my cheek and nose.

I snapped the arrow in my arm just below the head. Clutching my bleeding arm, I ran on through the town. Jumping from roof to roof, always conscious of the growing group of guards following my every direction. I soon ran out of ground and slid down the tiled slope of a tavern. I found myself on the bridge outside of town. Guards waited at either end.

Looking left and right at the advancing enemy, I decided flight was once again the best option here. I knew this river well. It was far deeper than it looked, and no more than fifty feet below the bridge. I stood up on the edge as they drew nearer.

"Stay where you are! Not another step!" A guard with the kingdom's crest moulded into his breastplate came forward.

_Kingdom's crest_, I thought. _Must be a Captain_.

Another man put his hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low, brittle voice.

"Why should we care if the criminal jumps? Goodness knows that nobody can survive a jump like that!" He he turned and looked me in the eyes. "Besides, I highly doubt anyone would miss you, should you die. In fact, the town would celebrate; wouldn't you agree, criminal?"

My arm stung more than ever now, but I kept my head held high as I shuffled back. Now only the balls of my feet were on the ledge. The wind threatened to carry me off down to the valley below. The first guard sheathed his longsword and held out a hand to me uncertainly. His voice was a little softer this time.

"Don't jump. Take my hand, you can get down from there. We'll have to take you to the jailhouse, but I assure you, you won't be harmed."

I scanned the crowd of guards and let my sight rest on the one in front of me for a few moments. I looked at the one behind him.

_"I highly doubt anyone would miss you..."_

I did my best to speak clearly through the pain and the roaring winds. "Your friend here has a point," I said. "Nobody'd really miss me." That, of course, was a lie. My brother would miss me; Athen can hardly take care of himself, he needs me to look out for him.

I could taste the blood from the second arrow. The ground was beginning to sway under my feet and I gripped my arm tighter.

It was clear which path I'd take.

I took a small step towards the guard's outstretched hand and saw him relax a little. Without a second thought, I whipped around and jumped. The wind around my ears was almost deafening.

I could have sworn I heard the guard yell something; speaking of whom, through my blood-and-hair-streaked vision I could make out him and the other guard leaning over the ledge.

A small smile spread over my face as I collided with the river.

The current immediately began to sweep me away much faster than I originally anticipated. The shock and freezing temperatures turned my body numb, I hardly felt it when I was slammed shoulder-first into a rock. My lungs screamed for air but I had to ignore it for now. I wasn't far enough away from the view of the bridge.

I soon felt myself slowing down in the water, having come to a calmer part of the river. Lungs burning and vision starting to lose focus, I had to risk a few breaths. Feigning a death-like state, I let myself float to the surface. I took some a few deep breaths and opened my eyes to be greeted by a thick fog. I righted myself so I was treading water. Slowly turning, I looked around me for anything familiar; anything that could lead me home.

Finally, I found a small patch of poppies. Next to it, a few wintergreen shrubs. More familiar herbs surrounded them and I knew this was my garden. I guided myself towards the bank and crawled up onto the mud. Fatigued and bleeding, I staggered to the narrow path and up to my cottage. Athen must have still been awake, there was smoke coming out of the chimney and the faint glow of candlelight could be seen through a window.

I heaved open the little wooden door and almost fell to the floor. Athen came running to the door, took one look at the blood on my face and arm, and and started panicking. He held me up and carried me into the lounge where he put me on the floor in front of the fire, and promptly rushed off. He came back soon after with bandages, needles and thread, and a few ointments clumsily bundled in his arms.

He was visibly shaking as he tried to clean the wound on my arm before even letting me take off my cloak. I placed my hand on his to get him to look at me. In the fire's light, I could see tears streaking down his cheeks, cutting through the stains of where he must have been crying earlier. I gently cupped his face in my hands, but he still didn't meet my eyes.

"Athen," I whispered. "Athen, look at me." He slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine. The pain and fear in my little brother's eyes completely broke my heart, but I had to stay steady for his sake. "It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about." As I said this, I accidentally inhaled a little blood that sent me pretty much coughing my lungs up. Athen went to tap my shoulder or back, I didn't know which, but I brushed him off at turned to look at him with a soft smile.

"You okay?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Do me a favour," I turned back to him. "Don't go breathing in blood, it's gross." We both giggled, and I was glad to see my brother smile a little. I had to savour the moment, though, as his smile faded back to that lost expression. Before I could say anything, he threw his arms around my neck and buried his head onto my shoulder. I carefully put my arms around him and held him close as sobs racked his body.

"You didn't come back. I was so worried. I thought you were dead." He cried harder, seeming to be letting out everything he had.

"Someone ratted me out, I got held back. I'm so, so sorry I made you worry like this." Athen let go and sat back as he was. He nodded silently and again picked up the cloth, this time waiting for me to take off my cloak first.

I took the cloth from him and tenderly pressed it to the wound on my arm while he went to get a bowl of warm water and a few other supplies. When he once again returned, we worked on washing, treating, stitching and bandaging up my arm. After a few more expletives from me, Athen then began to repeat the process with the gash on my face - my swearing also following the routine.

In the next room, I heard the old grandfather clock strike three. Athen ushered me upstairs to bed (by that, I mean he practically had to carry me up to my bedroom). Leaving me to my privacy, he went off to his own bedroom. I stripped off my gear and threw on whatever clothes I could find before collapsing onto my bed. In hindsight, that was a very bad idea. Pain shot up my arm the moment I landed on the mattress.

"_Shit_! You son of a bitch," I hissed.

A few doors down, I heard Athen shout a muffled, "Language."

With an exhausted sigh, I rolled over to my other side - wrapping myself up in the blanket as I went - and listened to the rain against my window trying to fall asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with the guards on the bridge, the Captain was still hunched over the ledge, staring at the spot where the girl was, as if she would just pop back up to the surface. His companion was saying something to him, but he wasn't listening.

_She jumped... she actually jumped..._

Shock had rendered him delayed in comprehending the situation.

Dizzy with conflicting thoughts and emotions, he pushed himself back upright and turned to address the others.

"Find her," he said, fighting to keep his voice from shaking. "Search along the river until you find her, or any trace. You are not to attack on sight, understood?" (The crowd nodded). "You are to bring her to the jailhouse, nothing else. Dismissed."

They all dispersed, except for Lieutenant Mitchell Hynde. He strode over to the Captain and slapped him half-heartedly on the shoulder.

"Why so glum?" He asked in a lively tone.

"You should understand why, Lieutenant."

"Come now, Darren! There's no way she'd actually survive that fall. I mean, she must have lost a lot of blood from that cut in her arm, so there's no way she could have had the energy to live after that!"

"That's Captain Haust to you, Hynde. And it's our job as the Town Guard to help people."

"But -" A hint of desperation leaked into Hynde's voice. "But she's a criminal! A murderer!"

"I stand by my moral code, unlike you. Regardless of her past actions." With that, he turned away to join the search.


	2. Surprises, Surprises!

The suspicious smell of blood filled my nose as I woke up. My first panic-induced thought was to check if my arm had started bleeding again. Not that. Looking down at the bed I saw a red puddle on the sheets. I panicked even more until the realisation hit me. Or, at least, the cramps did.

_Period. Great_.

I stretched out my aching limbs and groggily got up. I peeled off my leggings, now soaked and crusting with my...situation, and pulled out a fresh pair from some forgotten corner of my room. I found a rag in my drawer wiped away the first from my legs before I stuffed it in the new leggings and slipped them on. Turning back to my bed, I yanked the sheets off and went downstairs with it all bundled in my arms. I got to the bottom of the staircase when I realised: I forgot the leggings. I dumped the sheets where I stood and dragged myself back upstairs. I came back - with the leggings - to find the sheets gone. Athen awkwardly poked his head round the corner.

"I - uhm, I took those sheets to the washroom." He glanced at the clothing in my hand and slapped a hand to his mouth, bolting outside. I pulled on my leather boots and trotted after him, once again leaving the leggings wherever they landed.

I found Athen bent double against the shed wall. Throwing up.

"You okay there?" He raised a shaky thumbs up.

"Fine," he said. "It's just..._so much_ _blood_!" He swivelled round to face me, pale face full of confusion. "How...? How do you lose _that much_ blood and _live_?! Just yesterday you almost passed out from your arm!"

I took hold of his shoulder and said quietly, "I have about as much of a clue as you."

I walked him back inside with the promise of me making his favourite for breakfast - sausage and egg. Before that, though, I brought the soiled leggings round to the washroom and threw them along with the sheets to soak in buckets of water. Just as I got back into the kitchen, another wave of stabbing cramps came. I slammed my fist onto the worktop and sucked in a deep breath before getting on with breakfast.

Pretty soon, we were both sat down at the table eating our eggs and sausages. One of my eggs somehow exploded so I now had some yolk plastered to my face.

Afterwards, I went back to the washroom to try and scrub the worst of the stains off. I had mostly succeeded, but some of the blood had completely absorbed into the fabric.

_It's good enough_, I thought, and hung them out to dry.

It was a beautiful day out; the sky was a vibrant blue speckled with a few fluffy clouds here and there. A warm breeze lingered in the air, and a few sparrows danced amongst the bushes.

I turned around and saw Athen pruning the wall of passion flowers, discarding the dead flowers and leaves into one basket while the useful ones went into another.

I opened the door to the old wooden shed and coughed away the now-disturbed dust. Filling another basket with some tools, I headed back outside to the sage patch. I picked out some of the plants and tossed them into the empty basket. I walked back over to Athen and, upon seeing that his was full, stacked my basket on top of his. Picking up the two, I brought them over to the cart, beside which our ocard, Hydrane, stood in his pen.

When he noticed me, he snorted and pranced a little, even trying to playfully bite at my shirt as I passed. I glanced at his food bucked and saw it was empty. Time for his breakfast. I left the baskets in the cart and went to the cool room to get Hydrane his fish.

I returned with the bucket full of salmon, trout, minnows, sardines and an eel or two. I hadn't even got the bucket over the fence before Hydrane had his face shoved into the bucket, fish bones crunching as he chewed. Giving him a pat on his scaly neck, I left him to it while I went back and forth, bringing baskets and equipment to the cart and organising it into less of a mess.

After another hour or so of work, when the sun was now high in the sky, Athen and I hitched up Hydrane to the cart and set off for town.

As most of the road was uphill, we each took turns in who sat up front with the reins and who walked alongside the cart to push where needed.

The bridge soon came into direct view. Four guards stood in the path instead of the usual two. They stopped us as we approached, and three of them went round to check the baskets. The fourth came straight to me, probably because I was the one walking.

"Can I help you, sir?" I asked.

"Names," he said, voice brittle enough to make me want to blow my nose.

"Arietta and Athen Marescot."

"You trading the stuff in that cart?" He nodded to the two-dozen-or-so baskets.

"Yes, I sell herbal remedies and medicines in the marketplace square."

"May I see your license and market book?"

I pulled out the requested items from my satchel and handed them to the guard. As he read through the license document, I took note of his appearance: greying blond hair, dark eyes that sunk into his head, a nose so crooked it looked as though it was still broken and the overall look of a man used to life in the capital, Imperium.

He produced a charcoal pencil from behind his ear and signed my market book as proof of authorisation. The other guards came back just after.

"All's clear, Lieutenant. They're good to go."

Athen and I bid them farewell and continued along the bridge. Town was it's usual, bustling self: people jumping from one stall to the next, stall owners announcing new discounts, new products. A one-man-band played in the square, and children danced around him. The smell of freshly baked goods made what was already a lovely place seem that much better.

We reached our stall, where the sign reading 'Marescot Medicine' stood, proud and vibrant. Athen un-hitched Hydrane from the cart and led him over to the water trough where a couple more ocards stood. I made a start with unpacking and organising the baskets of herbs, tools and general equipment. Once that was done, I rang the overhead bell to show the stall was now open.

Almost immediately, a young boy - perhaps ten or twelve - shyly came up to me.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

"How can I help you today, young sir?" I put on my friendliest smile for the kid, who perked up a little.

"My brother's not well. He keeps being sick."

"I see. How old is he?"

"Seven, Miss."

"Do you want to know a secret medicine for stomach bugs like this?" I tapped my nose and winked at him. His face immediately lit up with excitement and he nodded his head vigorously. I beckoned him closer and made a big gesture of looking to see that nobody was watching, he did the same.

"Ginger and mint tea ought to do the trick. Do you know how to make it?" The boy shook his head. "Want me to show you?" He nodded again. I brought him round behind the counter where the rows of baskets and equipment were.

"The first thing you do," I said, lighting a fire under the small cauldron already filled with water. "Is to start boiling some water."

Athen came back from leaving some fish for Hydrane at the trough. He saw me showing the boy the cauldron and went to man the counter. When the water was bubbling nicely, I looked over and picked up a ginger root which I showed to the boy.

"This is ginger root. Now, what you do with this is you cut some of it off and throw it in the boiling water." I demonstrated as he watched on in awe. "We leave that there for a few minutes."

Athen passed us to get some seasoning for a customer.

The boy piped up, "Is it done yet?"

"No," I giggled. "No, not yet."

"Oh. I'm Kian."

"Nice to meet you, Kian, I'm Arietta. Call me Ari if you like."

"Oi, Ari," Athen gestured to the cauldron. "Think the ginger's done."

"Well, that was quick." I grabbed a glass flask, a cloth and a ladle before turning my attention to the ginger. "Hold this for me?" I held out the flask for Kian to take and took out the cork.

I scooped out the ginger with the ladle and dropped it straight on to the cloth in my hand. Mabye not the best idea, considering it's boiling hot, but it's certainly the most straightforward one.

I bundled up the ginger and turned to the flask. Kian held it out to me and I strained the ginger extract into it.

"What about the mint?" He squeaked.

"That's what we do next," I said. "It's the same method, but with mint leaves instead."

We went through the process again with the mint leaves, and ended up with a flask of a golden-brown liquid.

"When you get home, Kian, warm it back up by putting the flask in warm water. Then you can give it to your brother," I instructed. Kian stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out two brass quides and a pebble.

"That's all I've got. Is it enough?" It was a little below the usual price (four quides and ten pennies), but I was willing to let him off.

"Because you've been such a good helper," I closed his hand around the quides and pebble. "You can have it for free."

Kian's little round face lit up with a contagious grin. I felt the stitches on my cheek pull, perhaps a little more than they should.

"Are you sure? It's okay if I just...take it?"

"Of course." I ruffled his dusty hair a bit. "It's yours."

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Miss!" He jumped forward and wrapped his short arms around my waist, squeezing a little too hard over my bruises and scrapes.

I quietly took in a sharp breath, awkwardly giving Kian a gentle tap on the shoulder. Thankfully, he released me and - still with that bright grin of his - thanked me one more time before running off down the street to a lean woman. The woman (I presumed was his mother) took the flask and followed Kian's pointed finger to me with her gaze. She smiled, waved, and carried on with her day as Kian trotted along beside her.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" A voice brought me back to my senses. I whipped around to see two guards, one of whom had the Kingdom's crest engraved into his breastplate.

"How...how can I be of service, sir?" My heart picked up the pace.

_Shit_, I thought. _Shit, shit, shit, it's about last night, isn't it? He knows. He knows it's me._

"May I speak to the owner of this stall?"

"The owner is currently speaking."

"Can you bring them here? It's important."

"Of course! I'll be right back." I smiked brightly and walked out to the back of the stall, out of the guard's sight, waited a moment, and went back to the counter. I leaned my elbow on the wood. Bad idea: an arrow of pain shot up my arm, but I couldn't let it show. "Arietta Marescot. I'm the owner."

The Captain flushed scarlet, but his companion burst out into laughter.

"See, Darren? This is why I tell you to be a little more open-minded! You'll never know who you're talking to," he cackled, slapping the Captain - Darren, I assume - hard on the back.

He glared at the other guard. "I apologise for my assumption."

"Apology accepted. Don't worry about it, though, I get it a lot."

"I came to ask if you've seen anything...odd, lately." That familiar voice told me he was definitely the guard from last night, but this time he wore no helmet. He had a young face of just less than thirty, with his copper hair cut short.

"If by "odd", you mean boils on an old man's back the size of a denar, yeah - I've seen some pretty odd stuff recently."

"That's not -"

"I have nothing but pure respect for you," the second guard interrupted, nose wrinkled in disgust of the thought.

"As I was _saying_," Darren said, clearly trying to keep his voice even. "That's not what I meant. I mean if you've seen anything - or anyone - suspicious around."

"No, sir. I haven't."

"Please let me know if you do. There was an assassination last night, the culprit got away after jumping off the bridge. We couldn't find her body."

_May as well throw them off my trail._

"Well, I found footprints by the river this morning. Down near my house; I'll take you there later, if you like." They took the bait.

"We'll meet you back here."

I nodded. Something itched my cheek, but I ignored it. Darren squinted at me unsurely, and the other guard spoke up.

"Erm, Miss? Your..." He gestured to his cheek, and I instinctively reached up to wipe it.

My hand came away smeared with blood and thread.

"Ah, fuck." I held my other hand to the cut as I fumbled through a basket for a spare cloth.

"Ari, what have I told you about swearing so much?" Athen came up to me, saw the blood and panicked. Again. "Holy shit!"

"Hypocrite."

Athen suddenly turned to the guards, "What happened?"

"I don't know! Her cheek just started bleeding!" The second guard also started getting a tad panicky.

"Athen," I said. He was too busy faffing around with trying to get the guards to tell him exactly what happened. "Athen!"

"What?!"

"For goodness sake, calm down! It wasn't stitched properly, that's all! You can quit running about like a headless turkey now."

"Calm down?" His voice rose to a shout. "You expect me to calm down?! You're standing there, bleeding for no reason! How can you expect me to be calm when I'm worried sick about what might have happened?!" Athen's voice cracked and his eyes started to get watery.

"I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: I'm fine! There is _nothing_ for you to worry about, I can handle myself just fine. Constantly worrying about _my_ wellbeing will never do _you_ any good!"

Athen huffed and stormed off, probably over to the water trough where Hydrane was.

Throughout this, Darren and the second guard both stood there, exchanging awkward glances. I'd thrown the cloth at some point, and it now lay in a sad heap on the floor. I picked it up and again pressed it to the cut. The second guard moved towards me.

"Don't," I said quietly. "It's fine, I can do it myself."

"If I were to let you struggle with that alone, what kind of a gentleman would I be?" He winked playfully and came round anyway.

"I'll go check on Athen." Darren strode off to the trough.

I picked up some thread and a needle from the equipment basket and sat down on a stool in the corner. The guard crouched down in front of me and took the cloth from my hand, gently dabbing away the blood.

"Oliver Dawson," he said.

"Sorry?"

"Oliver Dawson, that's my name." I felt a little stupid now.

"Is there any reason you're spontaneously introducing yourself?" I smiled, thankful for the conversation.

"No, not really."

Silence descended once more like a mist. I took the time to take in Oliver's features: bronze hair trimmed short like Darren's, finely tanned skin, russet brown eyes, soft jawline set in concentration. He was perhaps around my age, nineteen.

"Is there anything I can use to clean the cut?" He dropped the cloth on the counter and stood up.

"There's water in the cauldron." I gestured over to the metal pot.

"I meant something more along the lines of disinfectant."

"I knew that," I said quickly. I could feel my face getting warm with embarrassment, so I got up and turned away to face the baskets. "I'll go make some."

"Absolutely not."

I squeaked as Oliver scooped me up and placed me back down on the stool. "You stay there. Just talk me through it, I'll sort it out."

"Let me guess: you're too much of a 'gentleman' to let a lady with a little scratch do her job?"

"Exactly," he replied. Oliver turned to the rows of baskets, completely confused and lost. I rolled my eyes and stifled a laugh.

"Witch hazel."

"Where...?"

"First basket on the left."

Oliver nodded, "I knew that."

"If you could pass me about half a handful, that'd be enough."

Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"Didn't I say I'd do it for you?"

I protested a little before giving in. "Fine," I sighed. "Boil it for a while, then bring to simmer."

The minutes passed quickly while somehow feeling like they were dragged out. I told him what to do and, soon enough, he was once again crouched in front of me, applying the disinfectant to my cheek. I had just handed Oliver the needle and thread when a voice appeared by the counter.

"I need medicine. Now. I've got some kind of infection." A man stood leaning over the wood. Everything about him just screamed 'I live in Imperium'.

"If you could just hang on a moment, I'll be with you as soon as I can, sir." I motioned for Oliver to hold off with the stitches for a second.

"But it's serious!"

"All right," I muttered. I got up and walked to face the man. "What's the problem?"

"I already told you, didn't I? I've got an infection of sorts!"

"I'm gonna need you to be more specific. I can't provide proper treatment, otherwise."

"Fine," he grunted, clearly annoyed. "It started two days ago. I woke up, coughing and sneezing. My nose feels blocked and it makes it difficult to breathe."

"Sounds like a common cold to me."

"It's not!" He shouted. "It's an infection! I'm not cold!"

"But that's literally what you described: a common cold. It'll pass in a week or so, just don't strain yourself."

"What do you know?" His face began to turn red with anger. "I demand to speak with the manager right now!"

"Of course, sir. Wait here." I exchanged an amused glance with Oliver as I turned to walk out back. Went over to the water trough where Athen and Darren were.

"I'm sorry about just now," said Athen. "I know I overreacted."

"No, it's my fault. I'm always worrying you."

"What's up with that guy at the stall?" Darren asked. "We could hear him from over here."

"I'm about to get that sorted out. Want to come watch?" They both nodded. "Great. Now, let's get Hydrane."

"Hydrane? What's he got to do with it?" Athen stared at me as I untied Hydrane's lead. I only winked in reply. I led them back to the stall, leaving the ocard just out of sight.

"It's about time you got back," Oliver whispered to us. "This guy's insane."

The man took one look at Athen and immediately became more polite. "You must be the manager! You see, I have some kind of infection, and this girl -" (He pointed to me) "- is being of no help!"

"He's not the manager," I giggled. "I am."

"You - you're making a fool of me! Do you know who I am?"

"Clearly not."

"Perhaps I should inform the town's Captain that you are adamant on denying me the respect I deserve."

Behind me, Darren cleared his throat and pointed at the crest on his armour. The man flushed red.

"Officer! Surely, you can see that this - this girl, she - !"

He hadn't had the chance to finish his sentence when Hydrane's scaly head poked through the doorway. The plumes of deep purple feathers on the back of his neck were raised, and he was crouched on all fours. He never once broke eye contact with the man, and his growling only got more menacing.

"What in Yros's name _is that_?!"

"Our security manager," I smiled. "I suggest you got home and rest. As I said, you shouldn't strain yourself when you've got a cold."

"You're insane!" He jumped back and promptly left.

"Well that was a trip and a half," Oliver sighed. He picked up the needle and thread and turned to me. "Alright, let's get this finished."

"Do I have to?" I complained. "It's stopped bleeding now, anyway."

"Just sit down and let me stitch it up."

Athen gave me a reassuring smile and left to take Hydrane back to the water trough. I gave in and sat back on to the little stool.

"Better watch him, Miss," Darren spoke from behind Oliver. "He'll be working for you before long at this rate."

"As long as he can name, recognise and correctly use all of these herbs, he's got the job."

"As long as you stay still," Oliver scolded. "I'll be able to get this stitched up properly."

"What even happened to your face, anyway?" Darren asked suspiciously. I felt my blood run cold and told the first lie that cane to mind.

"Hydrane. He got a bit playful and caught my face with his claws."

Darren gave a look of understanding, but he still kept his cautious eye.

Oliver stitched up the cut, cleaned it _again_, and went back over our arrangements for meeting up later. He then said his goodbyes and carried on with his little mission with Darren to get more clues.

"I don't get it," muttered Athen.

"Don't get what?"

"How can you stay so damn calm when those guards got suspicious asking you about your face and about...you-know-what?"

I simply shrugged and shook my head, "Wish I knew."

The rest of the day went on without a hitch worse than my cramps. We just had the usual orders: something for a mild fever here, another thing for children's scraped knees there. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred; until, that is, when closing time came round. Darren and Oliver came back as planned, and they had three more silver-clad guards with them. Athen and I greeted them and left them to their own devices while we started to load up the cart.

With a gentle smile, I took some baskets off of the stack Athen struggled with and added them to mine. My stack was heavier than I expected, and I could feel my bad arm strain under the pressure. I was about to put them down for a moment when I felt a great deal of the weight leave. Oliver stood next to me, holding most of the baskets I had been carrying.

"You looked like you needed help," he stated simply.

"Thank you, Mr. Dawson," I replied.

"You know," Oliver chuckled lightly. "You _can_ call me by my first name."

"Yeah, okay." I rolled my eyes and nudged him with my elbow.

Darren came over to us as Oliver was helping me get the baskets into the cart. "Oi, Oliver. I'm going to need you to stop flirting with her for a minute while I brief the others."

I could feel my face flare red, and Oliver turned a shade of crimson.

"Flirting?!" He jumped back. "I'm not -!"

"We're not -!"

"Regardless," Darren grinned. "I still need Oliver over here to listen to the briefing."

"Yeah...yes, sir." Oliver gave me a look between apologetic and embarrassment and walked off with Darren to the group.

Athen leant against my shoulder and poked my still-pink cheek. "Are you two together?"

"What? No!" I pushed him off and went back to moving more baskets. Athen came trotting after me.

"You sure? 'Cause it looks like you are."

"Just shut it and give me a hand with these baskets, Spuds."

"You're still gonna call me Spuds?" Athen whined. "Come on, Ari. I grew out of that name years ago. I'm not _that_ passionate about potatoes anymore!"

"Whatever you say, Spuds."

***

  
_Flirting_, thought Oliver. _I can't believe Darren thought I was flirting with Arietta_.

He wasn't paying much attention to the briefing; his mind kept wandering. Wandering off to question if they really _had_ been flirting. He shook his head and decided firmly: _No. It wasn't. It was just banter, that's all._

He glanced over to her, and saw her smile as she joked with her brother. He watched, for a moment, how her mahogany-coloured hair fell slightly tangled down her back, and how the sun reflected on her golden-tanned skin.

Oliver was brought to attention by Darren's hand waving in front of his face.  
"Come on, lover boy," he sighed. "We've got work to do."

***

  
The last of the baskets were on the cart, and Hydrane was harnessed to the front. Athen sat up in the driver's seat, and I walked alongside. The five guards followed close behind. Occasionally, one of them would come over to help with getting the cart safely down a steep slope. I had to keep an eye on them to make sure none of them got too close to trees where I kept some of my spare gear and request letters.

It wasn't much longer before we got to the cottage. I left Athen to take Hydrane back to his paddock and to start unloading the baskets.  
I turned around and noticed Oliver staring at me. He looked away awkwardly and kept towards the back of the group as I led them down to the river. Darren picked his way over tree roots until he was beside me.

"Nice place you got here," he muttered. I nodded in reply.

I continued to lead them down the path, sometimes stopping to give the others a chance to catch up.

"That metal armour you guards use wasn't made for off-road travel, was it?" I call out over my shoulder as one of the guards got their foot stuck in the mud. Again.

By the time we'd gotten them unstuck, the sun was low, hardly peeking from behind the mountains. A chilled breeze swept past, making me shiver a little.

"Come on," I ushered the group. "It's not far now."

We kept going, and the sound of soft running water filled my ears. The river was in sight, now. Just down this little ditch, and we'd be on the bank. "Little" was probably a bit of an understatement: where we stood was perhaps a metre high. More than half my height. With an annoyed sigh, I hopped down and lost my footing on a fairly jagged corner of a small rock. I stumbled and crashed shoulder-first into a tree. My arm burned. My vision tore white. I grit my teeth as tears pricked behind my eyes. My right hand was latched tightly around my left arm where I'd hit. I took a few deep breaths to clear my head and regain my composure. I felt hands come to rest on my shoulders, and I swivelled round to be greeted by a concerned Oliver.

"You hurt? You hit that tree pretty hard," he asked, moving a hand to my face. He gently turned my head to the side a little, scanning for any injury.

"I'm fine," I lied. My arm still hurt, but it dulled down a bit. "It's just impact shock."

"Look, mabye you just need to sit down for a bit."

"I said, I'm _fine_," I snapped. Oliver moved back a step; something flashed in his gaze, but I couldn't focus my mind enough to figure out what. I pushed myself away from the tree and walked down to the river. "Let's go. It's getting dark quickly, and it's best to not stay out too long after sundown."

"Why?" One of the other guards asked. "Why's it bad to stay out after dark?"

"Caligo. They don't take too kindly to people snooping around their territories outside of their individual tolerances."

The group packed in a little closer together. I forced myself onwards through the thick mud, completely blocking out the throbbing numbness in my arm. I staggered to the riverbank, near to the path, and said a silent thank-you to the gods. The footprints were still there. Faded, but there.

"Gods. You _were _telling the truth," Darren mumbled.

"You thought I was lying?"

"Not exactly," he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "You letting your ocard threaten a man from Imperium made me a bit...wary."

"Fair enough," I nodded. "You guys do what you need to, I'll wait over there." I gestured over to a large tree stump nearby.

"We won't take long."

I been sitting on the stump for a while, now. The sun had more or less hidden behind the horizon, and still the guards inspected the tracks. I shivered in the cold night and drew my jacket closer around me. Darren and Oliver had moved away from the others, and both stood just out of earshot as they talked. Soon enough, Darren moved back to the group. Oliver came over to me and I shifted over on the stump to make room for him to sit. He settled down beside me. We both sat in uncomfortable silence for some time before Oliver spoke first.

"Darren and I talked," he started. "We both agreed it's best for one of us - or both - to stay with you and your brother tonight. Just in case."

"Just in case of what?" I decided playing the oblivious card was safest. My heart hammered in my chest.

"Just in case the Crow is still out there."

"The _Crow?_" I caught myself before I laughed.

"The assassin. That's what everyone's been calling her."

_Who came up with that name?_

"Not exactly the kind of name I'd expect." I shook my head, grinning slightly.

"Yeah?" Oliver leaned back. "Go on, then. What name _would_ you expect?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Just not that."

"We're getting off topic." Oliver cleared his throat and leant forward again so his arms rested on his knees. "Would it be alright if Darren and I stayed with you two tonight?"

"I don't see any problem with it," I answered. My brain making a list of every single problem with it. _What of they find out? What if you let it slip? What if they find something?_

"Great!" Oliver jumped up and offered me a hand, which I took.

"I'll go tell Darren."

"Yeah," I uttered. "Yeah, you go do that."

I turned my focus back to the sunset; the sky was aflame with shades of red, purple, pink, yellow, orange while flocks of birds danced in their silhouettes.

Shivers ran up my spine when I caught a glimpse of dark, misty clouds of smoke with bright eyes twisting through the forest. Caligo.

_Looks like we may be overstaying our welcome._

"It's getting late!" I called to the group. "We should get going; the caligo are up and about."

Darren stepped forward. "Come on. We've gathered enough information here." The other guards huddled in close, their weapons at the ready.

Oliver offered me a helping hand getting back up at the ditch, and I gladly accepted. I didn't particularly want to fall back down on another tree. We followed the path back to the cottage, where the three extra guards left quite hastily.

Athen was inside, curled up on one of the old armchairs, engrossed in the book in his lap. I stood aside to let Darren and Oliver in, then making sure the door was closed tight.

"Hey, Spuds, we're back!"

"Ari, didn't I ask you to stop with that nickname?" He slammed the book closed, glaring daggers at me.

"I never agreed to stop," I smirked. Athen sighed and got up to put he book back on the shelf. I made my way over to the kitchen. "You had dinner yet?"

"No, I wasn't sure when you'd be back."

"Me either." I turned to Darren and Oliver. "Make yourselves at home. I'll go make dinner; anything in paticular you want to eat?"

"I'll have whatever's going," Darren responded.

"Same here," said Oliver.

"Athen?"

"As long as it's not Hydrane's leftovers, I don't mind."

"Salmon pie it is, then."

I just finished dishing out the portions when Athen came in. "Need any help?"

"No, I'm just finishing up here. If you could let those two know dinner's ready, that'd be great."

The table was already set, aside from the plates that I brought with me. Athen, Oliver and Darren came in; the guards' eyes widened when they saw the salmon pie.

"I've actually never had salmon before," remarked Darren.

"Never?" Athen asked, dumbfounded. Darren shook his head. "It's great, especially when Ari makes it in a pie like this."

"Keep talking and it'll be cold before you eat it."

We all sat and started eating. I got some compliments on the food, then all was quiet for a little while. Surprisingly, Darren was the first to finish.

"Thank you for the food, Arietta. I think I just found my new favourite dish," he chuckled.

"You're very welcome, Darren."


	3. Back to Bite

I stood in a lounge or study of sorts. High walls, two of which stacked with full bookshelves, a large, roaring fire in the middle of a third. Luxurious sofas made on fine red velvet, comfy armchairs of leather all arranged in a semi-circle shape around the fireplace. I took a step towards the ceiling-high window, but stopped when I noticed myself wearing my assassination gear, the hood of my cloak casting an eerie shadow over my face.

I recognised this room. I knew it, but couldn't think of _how_ I did.

I kept going towards the window. The sky outside was dark in night. Something was off. I stared up, squinting this way and that, just trying to get an indication of what made me uneasy about the sky. Dark clouds sat ominously above, never moving, blending so perfectly it was as if they weren't there at all.

_Because they're not there..._

It's wasn't clouds at which I gazed. Instead, I found myself lost in the deep abyss that was the sky, devoid of any starlight or even one of the moons.

I blinked, and it all came at once. The stars and two moons flickered into existence like faulty bulbs. They all stared down into my eyes, and their light whispered harsh words in my mind.

_Murderer..._

_You did it._

_You...killed them!_

_In blood of ice... It was you..._

I slammed my hands over my ears to shut the voices out, but they only screamed louder and louder and louder. Voices. Wouldn't stop. I couldn't make them stop. Louder. In my head.

"_Shut up!_" I shrieked. "_Shut up! I'm not a murderer!_"

_You are marked._

The birthmarks going down my back burned, but I couldn't feel it.

I shrank back, desperately needing to hide from the light. I sensed someone behind me. I didn't think. I couldn't think. I spun around, whipped out my dagger and drove it deep into their neck. Hot blood splattered over my hands and face. They let out a piercing, strangled cry and slumped to the floor. The gripped helplessly at the dagger. All I could do was stand there, listening, watching. Their body convulsed, and a gurgling sound emanated from their throat as blood pooled around them.

_Murderer._

_You only hurt._

_You made them all...suffer._

_You killed him._

"No..._No!_ I didn't...!" The shock passed, and now the tears came flooding. I twisted back to stare out the window, where the night sky glared at me through its pale light. "_I never -_"

Something grabbed my ankle and yanked it back, hard. I toppled onto the carpet floor, shock and fear once again filling my blood. Athen's sea-green eyes focused on me. Then at my dagger in his hand.

"Athen!" I begged. "Athen, _please! _I swear, I didn't mean - !"

He plunged the dagger deep into my stomach. Everything went numb, and the wound ached worse and worse until it was all I could feel. But at the same time, I couldn't. I screamed, but Athen lunged forward and wrapped his hands around my throat. He squeezed. His face hovered over mine. Clotted blood dripped from his mouth.

"Ple...ase..." I couldn't breathe. I clawed at his hands, trying to get loose. "S...top."

He gripped tighter. My neck was going to break; I could feel it.

My vision blurred and my hearing muted. Blood vessels in my neck popped. My lungs were on fire. Something snapped in my neck. Blood dripped out of my nose. I lost all feeling, everywhere. Everything slowly turned black.

I lurched bolt upright, drenched in sweat, breathing in shallow rasps. I stared wildly around me, only calming a little when I saw I was in my room sat on my bed. A sharp pain in my gut bent me double, clutching at my sides.

"Cramps," I whispered to nobody. "Just cramps."

A faint _tap, tap, tap_ brought my attention to my window. A grey dove perched on the windowsill pecked at the glass.

I shakily got up and went over to open the window. The dove flew in and landed on my bed, staring at me with large, orange eyes. I noticed a small piece of paper tied to its leg. Slowly, I crept towards the dove. Conscious of the creaking floorboards, I make sure to my steps light and quiet.

Carefully, I untied the paper from its leg. The moment it was off, the dove flew away, back out the window and into the starry night sky.

_Stars_, I thought. _I think I've had enough of stars for a while._

I turned my attention back to the paper in hand. Hands still shaking, I unfolded the (surprisingly large) page. The paper held a note; the handwriting and stamp in the corner meant it was signed clearly by a noble. I scanned the note. My blood ran cold. I sucked in a huge breath and read it again and again, trying to convince myself it was part of some dream.

** _Dear "Crow"_ ** _ **,** _

_**I'm sure it comes of little surprise to you to receive a request for assassination. I, along with many others of many classes, have heard the tales of your daring missions. How it is said that you could sever a man's limb with such speed he'd never know you were there**_(_False claims, _I told myself)_**.**__** How you can dissappear without a trace. **_

_ **Perhaps I should offer a brief description of myself. I am, you could say, a man of great importance from the Georte Republic, in Risilia. I have come to you to ask one thing: does your king truly care for your nation? He rarely attends Peace Meetings, always with some excuse or another; surely this must show how little responsibility he feels regarding Novula's peaceful relationships. So, I offer you a mission with a hefty reward, and asylum within Risilia should you choose to complete it.** _

** _Assassinate King Edwin Castillo. Do this, and your nation will be better off._ **

My heart hammered in my chest. _Assassinate the king?! He can't be serious!_

The author was smart, no doubt. There was no way I'd be able to expose him without exposing myself. Mind running circles, I re-folded the note and stuffed it under my pillow, for now. I needed to clear my head.

I left my room and made my way slowly down the hallway. I could hear Darren and Oliver's muffled discussion in the lounge downstairs. I stopped when I reached Athen's door, but I couldn't quite make myself grab the handle. The image of Athen's pale and bloodied face flashed across my vision.

_I have to_, I told myself. _I need to see that it was only a dream._

I shakily grasped the handle and hesitantly eased open the door. I peered inside. A sigh of relief escaped me as I saw Athen sprawled clumsily on his bed, snoring slightly. Silently, I closed the door with a soft _click_.

I took a deep breath, then another. I crept over to the stairs and started down them. Oliver laughed at some story Darren was telling him. I paused halfway down, wondering if I really wanted to go downstairs. The last thing I wanted right now was unwarranted social interactions.

"Oh, hello, Arietta," Darren greeted.

"Hello," I simply replied.

"Everything alright? You look pale." Oliver stood up and stepped round the sofa towards me.

"I'm alright, thank you. I just haven't slept much," I muttered, politely waving off Oliver's attempted fussing.

"Why?" Oliver pressed. "Is the cut on your cheek hurting? Or your arm? I mean, you did hit the tree with quite a lot of force." He tried to lightly guide me to sit down, but I moved away, massaging my temples.

"No, not that. It's just... I've got a lot on my mind right now."

"Such as..?" Darren inquired.

"I... I'm just stressed. These last few years have been pretty rough. For both me and Athen."

"Hey." Darren sat up straighter and his expression got softer. "Why don't you sit down? You look like you want to talk."

"It's not really anything I want to talk about." I gave Darren an apologetic, but still somewhat awkward, smile.

"Just because you don't _want_ to talk about something -" Darren gestured with one hand to nothing in particular. "That doesn't mean you don't _need_ to." He gestured again with his other hand.

"Don't tell me you want me to spill my entire life story," I retorted.

"I'm just sayin', it's not healthy to keep things bottled up all the time."

"Alright," I sighed. I shuffled over to the bookshelf in the corner, scanning for my favourite.

I picked it out, flicking through the pages to where I left off as I wandered back. I plopped myself down on one of the armchairs, revisiting the candlelit world within the words. I let myself become submerged in the battle scene: watching, hearing, _feeling_ it play out around me.

"What're you reading?" I jumped out of my skin as Oliver peeked over my shoulder. I twisted round to face him, almost falling off the chair as I went.

"I - sorry?" I panted.

"What book are you reading?" He repeated. He kindly took hold of my arm, helping me set myself upright again.

"Oh, right," I muttered sheepishly. "It... it's called _Ashes of a Sun_. It's basically about this universe where almost any structure is made out of metals or even plastics! Everything is run by electricity, there's carriages with no horse or ocard or anything like that to pull it. There's this group of people working against the government's immoral plans, and there's so many plot twists!" I stopped as I caught myself rambling.

"Sounds interesting," Darren piped up. "I think my cousin read that book. I remember her mentioning it when we were kids."

"Could you read us some?" Oliver asked.

"What," I joked. "You want me to read you a bedtime story?"

Darren yawned. "Sounds like a plan. That is, if you're willing." He added.

"Okay," I murmured. "Get comfy, you two."

"Yes, ma'am." Oliver sat himself down on the floor, legs crossed and leaning back against he sofa. His face bright with excitement, he picked a cushion from behind, holding it like a stuffed toy. Darren sat with one leg crossed over the other, tucked into the sofa corner, huddled in amongst more cushions.

I took note of my page and skipped back to the beginning. I cleared my throat, and started in my 'trademark' melodramatic reading voice:

"_He longed to clear away the city, to no longer see the towering buildings, to no longer hear the rumbling of engines passing below..._"

I'd made it to chapter seven uninterrupted (aside from the occasional question from Darren and Oliver) until the pale glow of sunlight glided in through the window. The first birds began their morning harmonies, and the misty trail of a caligo faded from view.

I looked up to see Darren asleep, Oliver - also out cold - leaning against his knee, still cuddling that cushion. I stopped reading and gently closed the book, leaving it the arm of the chair.

_I wonder how long they've been sleeping._

I stood up and stretched my stiff limbs, earning a few _pops_ and _clicks_ and _cracks _from my joints. Yawning, rubbing my tired eyes, I quietly dragged myself up the stairs to my room. I immediately flopped on my bed, contemplating whether or not I could be bothered to get changed. I decided I will be bothered, whether I liked it or not.

Today was a gardening day, so I switched into my grubby working clothes. I ran a brush through my hair, and tied it back with a strip of fabric as I went to the water bowl in the corner to wash my face.

_My routine's a little out of order today_, I thought. _Who cares? It's just today._

I shuffled down the hallway, back to Athen's room. I rapped my knuckles against the wood; no reply. I rolled my eyes and swung open the door. Athen lay as he was last night: sprawled. I strode over to his bed, snatched the pillow from under his head and dropped it back on him.

"Oi, dipshit." I nudged him to try and get him to move. "Get up."

"I'm not a dipshit," he mumbled from under his pillow.

"Yes, you are. Now get up, I'm making breakfast."

"_Fine_," Athen complained. "I'm getting up."  
I hummed a short tune, walking out of his room and back down the stairs. I entered the lounge, where Oliver must have just woken up.

"Sleep well?" I smiled.

"Yes, thank you," he replied as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He chuckled lightly.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," he said shyly. "Thanks for the bedtime story. Haven't had a night's sleep that good since the last time someone read me a story before bed, when I was - what - nine?"

"You're welcome." I giggled.

An awkward silence descended upon the room. I tried to avoid direct eye contact with Oliver, so I picked up _Ashes of a Sun_, checked again what page I originally left off on, and placed it back into its spot on the bookshelf.

"Arietta?" Oliver sounded...nervous.

"Yes?" I turned to face him.

"Do you think that...mabye..." He trailed off, averting his eyes.

My heart pounded a little harder; I stood still. "That mabye what?"

"Mabye... we could do something like this again?" A faint tinge of pink spread over his face.

"Of course!"

"Really?" His face lit up and he sat more forward, more upright.

"Yeah, I'll glady have you and Darren over again!"

Oliver's shoulders slumped slightly, and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Oh, okay."

I felt like something wasn't right with him. Like I said something wrong.

"What's up?" I asked.

"What d'you mean?"

"You suddenly went all glum."

"Oh." He looked away from me, focusing instead on the softwood floor. "I guess I kind of hoped it would be, you know, just you and me?"

"Sure." I flashed him a sweet smile, then turned and walked to the kitchen. "I'm making breakfast; you want some?"

"Yes, please. Want me to wake Darren, see if he wants anything?" Oliver got to his feet, patting the cushion back into its place.

"If you want," I replied.

Oliver nodded and nudged Darren in the arm. "Hey. Wake up."

Darren shot up, eyes wide. "Shit! I'm late for training, aren't I?!"

"Darren," Oliver said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're thrity-two."

Darren pondered this for a moment, before his face reverted back to panic.

"Oh _gods_, I'm an _instructor_!" He rushed to get up, but Oliver gently held him down.

"Mate, it's Spring. You're not teaching the new trainees until Autumn."

"Oh." He relaxed. "Thank goodness."

"We wanted to check if you wanted anything for breakfast," I stated.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass. My daughter, Ffion - she'll be wondering where I am." Darren beamed at the mention of his daughter, and continued on. "I left her with a babysitter last night and I promised to take her on a picnic today, so I best get going. Thank you again for having us over for the night, Arietta."

"It's been a pleasure," I replied. Darren stiffly got up from the sofa, and let himself out the front door. He paused suddenly in the doorway.

"One more thing: if you find or hear of anything else regarding the Crow, please let us know."

"Will do. Be careful going back up that trail, okay?" I raised an eyebrow to let him know I meant it. Darren waved and shut the door behind him.

I headed back for the kitchen. "I'll start breakfast, then. Omlettes alright?"

"Sure," Oliver responded, following behind me. "Can I help at all?"

"Why, do you want to?"

"Seems appropriate," he shrugged. "I mean, you've shown me wonderful hospitality. Shouldn't I return the favour?"

"You're a guest." I picked out a small basket from the pantry floor. "It's not mandatory for you to help out."

"But I want to. I'll feel bad about it, otherwise."

"Alright, then; follow me."

A single, loud thud came from the lounge, followed by a less-than-subtle sting of curses. Oliver and I rushed in to see Athen laying on the floor on his back, one boot on, the other loosely held in his hand.

"You okay?" I grasped his upper arm, pulling him back up to his feet. "What happened?"

"I lost my balance trying to get my boot on, that's all."

"As long as you're not hurt." I kept hold of his shoulder as he pulled on his other boot.

"I'm fine," he grunted.

"Alright, alright," I sighed. "I'm just gonna get some eggs from the chicken coop. We're having omlettes."

Athen nodded, watching as I left for the back door with Oliver in tow.

"So -" Athen trotted after us with a smug grin on his face. "- are you two dating?"

"_What?!_" Oliver and I both jumped back, faces beet red.

"Well? Are you?"

"No -"

"Why would you even -"

"We're not dating!"

"Yeah, of course," Athen smirked.

"Why don't you go skip out Hydrane's pen, huh?" I retorted, annoyed.

"Okay, fine." Athen winked and jogged away. "I'll leave you two _alone_ together."

"How old did you say he is?" Oliver whispered in my ear.

"First of all: I didn't say." I turned and headed for the coop. "Secondly: he's fourteen."

"Fourteen," Oliver scoffed. "Forgive me for being rude, but I was annoying at fourteen, but not _that_ bad."

"That's probably down to me," I admitted.

"Please, do explain."

"For the last five or so years of his life, he was basically raised by an angsty teenager - me."

"What about your parents?"

"Let's see." I stooped down do open the coop hatch, setting it in place with a metal rod as I picked out some eggs. "Dad left to work abroad when I was twelve, haven't heard much from him lately. Mum ran off to some cheap council estate up North a little while later; that was when I was about fourteen or fifteen."

"Woah, your mother sounds like quite the deadbeat."

"She wasn't too bad. She had a part-time that brought in enough to get us by, and I started selling herbal remedies she taught me. It got me an apprenticeship in Healing not long after."

"Then why'd she run off?" Oliver asked.

"Didn't really care enough to ask," I answered, shaking my head. "I think she mentioned something about 'needing to get out of this town'. She offered to bring me and Athen with her, but we didn't want to know - still don't."

"_Still_?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She sends letters now and again, asking if we've changed our minds."

Oliver nodded and went to pick up an egg just as I did. Our fingers brushed and we both flinched away slightly; my cheeks started to get warm and Oliver coughed awkwardly.

_Come off it, Arietta_, I scolded myself. _There's no way you like him in that way. You met him yesterday!_

I decided that eight eggs should be enough for three omlettes, and so I made a beeline for the tomatoes. I added two perfectly ripe ones to the basket, as well as a little bit if rosemary.

I glanced up at the sky. It was painted grey, almost as one shade on a canvas. I shuddered, thinking again of the starless sky of my dream. I half expected the sun, or even the moons, to burst through he haze and blind me once more with wild, blaming whispers.

_Today's gonna be a _long _day._


	4. A Task Begins

Athen groaned as he crashed backwards into the grass, Oliver holding a solid stick to his throat. Athen grumbled something inaudible and scrambled back to his feet.

"Come on, how did you beat me again?" He threw his own stick to the floor, pacing in circles.

"You're slow. It makes you predictable," Oliver explained. He picked up Athen's discarded stick and turned to me.

I was sitting on the edge of the vegetable patch, watching Oliver teach Athen some sparring tricks. I looked back at him quizzically.

"Why don't you try it, Arietta?" Oliver held out the stick for me to take.

"Alright then," I smirked as I stood up. I made to take hold of the stick, but instead I grasped his wrist and pulled him close. I whispered in his ear, "Ready to lose?"

"That's pretty big talk for someone of your height," he muttered back.

"Oh my gods!" Athen covered his face with his hands and threw his head back in frustration. "Just kiss already! I can _see_ the romantic tension between you two!"

I took the stick from Oliver and, just to wind up Athen, winked at him.

I wandered away with the stick, dropping it as I started stretching. I could feel Oliver's eyes on my back. In my mind, I screamed at myself.

_What the fuck was I just thinking? Dammit. Now Athen isn't gonna shut up about it._

Keeping my back to them, I took a deep breath. I reached up to wrap my hair into a messy bun, and decided to chance a quick peek over my shoulder. I caught Oliver's gaze, and some level of confusion was evident in his eyes. We both quickly broke eye contact.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the stick and swivelled round to face Oliver. I kept that cocky smirk across my features to cover up any fears I had right now.

_What if I slip up?_

My mind swirled with various scenarios in which I mess up - in which Oliver finds out.

_No. No, I damn well won't slip up. I'll just have to try and bring my fighting back a little._

We both took our positions. As per tradition, we each crouched down on one knee, laying our sticks down before us. All of my muscles tightened, ready to move at the slightest twitch from Oliver. He remained unmoving. Oliver was waiting for me to make the first move, as I was with him.

My midnight-coloured eyes remained locked on his russet brown ones. From the corner of my vision, I could see Athen fidgeting in his seat. He shot up to say something; Oliver snapped his head round, distracted.

This was my chance.

I snatched up my stick and sprinted forward. Oliver took no time to react: he also took up his stick, and stood into a defensive stance. When I was within his range, he swung out his arm to strike right. So that's where I flanked. His gaze followed me, face set in bewilderment. The one follow-up I could think of right now was to get him down. His arm was still raised, momentarily frozen mid-arc. Naturally, I went to seize the opportunity.

I planted my foot and used it to push myself towards Oliver. He dropped to the ground as I got close and shifted round behind me. I barely turned around when he caught hold of my lower leg, causing me to fall back downwards. Now winded from the impact, I gasped for air. A vague, somehow familiar fear ran through my veins. Déjà vu kicked in, and I recalled the last few moments of my dream.

I hardly noticed Oliver kneeling down, leaning over me, stick ready to declare him winner. He grinned down at me. I raised my legs so my boots hovered over his chest and shoved with all I had. He stumbled backwards a few steps, having the air knocked from his lungs. I rolled over and hopped back up, still trying to catch my breath.

Oliver came in on the offensive, dragging his stick down at my shoulder. I wouldn't have been able to successfully block it, so I flanked again. Now standing just behind him, I swung my leg up to strike him between the shoulder blades. He spun round at the wrong time, and I wound up hitting his cheek instead.

"Holy fuck, I'm so sorry!" My eyes went wide as Oliver massaged his cheek.The red mark was already beginning to bruise and swell. "Are you okay?"

"It hurts, I'll give you that." I could see his eyes watering a little, but he still kept a smile on his face.

"Let's call it a draw - for now," I said. "Come on, I'll get that fixed up."

"You know," Oliver called out, striding after me as I began heading back inside. "It's not that bad. We can keep going."

"Absolutely not," I replied. "I'd rather check it first instead of leaving it and you possibly getting it infected."

"Do you always worry this much?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a Healer and an older sister; it's my job to worry."

"Stressful life," Oliver muttered.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Yeah, it is."

Athen followed us back inside. He perched himself up on the kitchen counter as I sat Oliver down at the table.

"Wait here," I instructed. "I'll just be a second."

I shortly returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth. I also brought some of the leftover witch hazel disinfectant from yesterday, along with some medical patches. I set everything down on the table and tilted Oliver's head to the side. Faint wet streaks coated his cheek. The tears faded pale red where the skin had split a little. I tenderly prodded his cheekbone and lower jaw to make sure nothing was broken or fractured. His skin was warm to the touch, dotted with freckles and remnants of adolescence.

I stood up straight and folded my arms. "Good news or bad news first?"

"Um...good news...?" Oliver shifted nervously in his seat.

"The good news is that there's nothing broken or anything like that. The worst of the damage is just a small cut where the skin's split."

Oliver relaxed, sighing in relief.

"So, what's the bad news?"

"People are gonna want to know how that happened. And I'm sure your higher-ups won't be too impressed to hear that someone a head shorter - and physically weaker - than you beat you in a sparring match." I jokingly placed my hands on my hips in an over dramatic pose of triumph.

"I thought you said it was a draw." Oliver leant forward, grinning.

"I lied."

Oliver threw his arm across his head, slumping backwards in feigned hurt. He spoke in a false betrayed voice. "How...how could you, Arietta? I thought we were friends!"

"You might want to hold onto that thought, 'cause this is going to sting."

I wrung out the soaked cloth and lightly rubbed his bruised cheek. Oliver winced away, hissing a silent string of curses. I drew back a bit in surprise. Then, ever so gently, I cupped his other cheek to keep him still. His shoulders dropped slightly, relaxed, and he let out a steady exhale. As I continued touching on the cut and bruise, he clenched his teeth and new tears welled faintly in his eyes. I give him an apologetic look; he returned it with a soft smile.

"Athen -" I let a few drops of the witch hazel land onto the cloth. "- do we have any ice or something like that?"

Athen tapped his chin for a moment. "I'll go check." He hopped off the counter and scampered off back outside.

The back door closed with a heavy _thud_, and another heavy silence trickled inside. I wasn't too worried about it. I was more focused on tending to Oliver's cheek.

"So," he paused. "Where...did you learn to spar? I mean, it's pretty obvious you knew what you were doing."

"Long story," I stated.

"I've got time."

"Just hold still." I kept applying the disinfectant.

Another era of stillness.

"Do you always do that?" Oliver asked.

"Do what?"

"Keep secrets from people."

"Everyone has secrets," I pointed out. "I just prefer to keep mine to myself. Besides, I only met you yesterday."

"Just yesterday?" Oliver stared off at nothing in particular. "Feels like longer."

_It does._

"You been in the Guard long?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"No, not long. I graduated training last year."

I nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Athen popped back into the kitchen. In his hands, he awkwardly held a bundled cloth.

"We're in luck," he announced. "This was the last of the ice."

"Thanks, Athen." He handed me the cloth, numbingly cold and wet. "We'll just have to top up the coldroom if it doesn't rain today."

I pressed the fabric against Oliver's cheek. He gasped quietly and screwed up his face. He raised his hand to hold the cloth himself, and his calloused palm paused over my knuckles. His face tinged red as he averted his eyes from mine. Slowly, I moved my hand away from the cloth so his replaced it.

***

  
Sitting so close to her, watching her work, Oliver couldn't help but notice how she chewed the inside of her cheek in concentration. Or how strongly she smelled of lavender; there were several other herbs and spices mixed in with her scent, but the lavender stood out like a sore thumb.

His palm grazed her knuckles as he made to hold the cloth himself. He didn't know why he blushed - surely he didn't like her in such a way, right?

She moved her hand away. The ice turned his face numb again as he pressed it back down. Arietta took a step back and propped herself against the table.

"We'll give it a little while, then I'd like to talk with your commanding officer about giving you tomorrow off," she said.

Oliver blinked, confused. "What?"

"I don't know if there's gonna be any following affects over the next day or so. Better safe then sorry."

"What do you mean by 'following affects'?" Oliver asked.

"Nausea, dizziness, migraines, stuff like that." She counted off each word on her fingers as she went.

"I'm fine, honestly," he protested. "There's really no need."

"As I said: better safe than sorry." Arietta turned around and picked up the bowl and the other cloth, before leaving the room again.

Oliver looked over to Athen, who leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"I'd take her advice, if I were you." Athen shrugged. "Belive me, she knows what she's talking about."

"I guess," Oliver sighed.

***

  
We got up the trail to the bridge faster than usual. Most likely because we didn't have the cart.

I smiled politely at the same four guards we passed yesterday morning as we passed. The guard with the greying blond hair stopped us and squinted at Oliver's bruised cheek.

"My fault, Lieutenant," Oliver explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

The Lieutenant looked back to me, eyes glinting in suspicion. "Explain, Dawson."

The intensity of his glare sent shivers up my spine.

"I talked them into a sparring match," he said hastily. "Arietta went to throw a kick at my back, but I turned around. It was an accident, really!"

"It had better be an accident, Marescot," the Lieutenant spat.

"It was, sir." The words almost faded in my throat.

"Best get going, then. Before I change my mind and have you arrested." The Lieutenant stepped towards me. He was at least half a head taller than Oliver, with broader shoulders. He towered over me, and I could hardly manage to keep my expression calm.

The three of us briskly walked away from them. I felt my hands shaking slightly, and gripped my satchel strap at steady them. I wasn't sure when it happened, but, during the confrontation, something clicked in my mind.

_"I highly doubt anyone would miss you..."_

The same voice. It was him. He was the other guard on the bridge that night.

My chest felt tight; my heart pounded like a thousand drums. I tried to subtly take deep breaths to calm back down. A gentle hand came to rest on my shoulder. My head snapped round to see Athen's sympathetic face. He sent me a reassuring smile which I tried to return.

"Don't worry about it too much, Arietta," Oliver offered. "From what I've heard, he's always been a sour prick."

"Seemed to me like that's an understatement." My knuckles were white as I gripped the strap tighter.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Athen looked to Oliver, then back at me.

"Guard Hall. We'll be able to talk to one of the other Captains there." Oliver gestured to the square. "It's just a little ways down the street from here."

"So, am I right in guessing that Darren is your group's Captain?" I enquired.

"Yeah. He's got today off, though."

"Then who do we talk to?"

Oliver considered this.

"Rosalie Faucon, probably. She's almost always there; I've never known her to take a day off."

"Rosalie it is, then."

"Can I help you?" Rosalie Faucon stood facing the window with her back to us. Her strawberry blonde hair was set in a tight low bun. One hand held a small stack of papers, from which she did not look away as she spoke, while the other absent-mindedly stroked the silver cat perched on the desk.

She stood straight as an arrow, shoulders broad in her armour. Authority radiated off her like steam from a kettle; this was a woman who I knew I should rather die than to cross.

"I've come to request some time off, Captain," Oliver said.

She silently placed the papers down on the desk beside the cat. Rosalie swivelled round to face us, and resumed scratching the cat's chin. Her face had the delicacy of porcelain, but also the hardness of stone. Her expression remained mostly neutral - she only raised a thin eyebrow and pursed her narrow lips.

"Captain Haust is unavailable?"

"Yes, ma'am. He's got the day off."

Rosalie nodded in reply.

"You're scheduled to have today off already. Under what circumstances do you place your request?"

Her marble-shaded eyes shifted to me and Athen.

Something about her stare gave me uncomfortable chills. I felt my brother gently take hold of my sleeve, and I shuffled forward a step to keep him behind me. Oliver was about to answer, but my nervous state got the better of me.

"Medical," I stated.

Her eyes suddenly became narrow, as if she were trying to work out a riddle.

"Have we...met before? You seem familiar."

My heart started racing a million miles an hour.

"I own a stall in the marketplace; _Marescot Medicine_. Perhaps you've seen me as you passed."

"Yes," Rosalie muttered. "Yes, I do recall. You had that man from Imperium visit the other day, didn't you?"

"How did you...?"

"Almost everyone in Lakepine knows about it. It's not often we see nobility here; and it's even less common to hear of them being scared off by an ocard," she laughed.

"Ah...right." Embarrassment painted my face and I averted my eyes to the floor.

"What did the noble want, anyway?"

"He was convinced that the cold he had was some sort of major infection. Kept insisting that he knew more about it than the Healer." Now it was my turn to laugh a little as I recalled it.

"He must have been cracked."

"Well, that's retail in a nutshell for you, Captain!"

"We're getting off topic." Rosalie cleared her throat. "Now, what's this about Mister Dawson's request being 'medical'?"

"I talked Arietta into sparring. She went for a kick, but I turned around and she caught the side of my face," Oliver responded.

I nodded. "I think it's best if he takes tomorrow off, just in case he winds up with any...delayed affects."

"Delayed affects?"

"Vomiting, nausea, dizziness, migraines - anything like that."

"Are you sure you're not being..._too_ cautious?" She questioned.

"It's more common than you think. Belive me, I know."

"Are you medically trained?"

"I had an apprenticeship under Clifford Jubert." I answered.

"Very well." Rosalie clapped her hands together. "You have my permission, Mister Dawson. But, I need a signed note if it's medical, Miss Marescot."

"Not a problem," I said.

She produced a blank sheet of paper from the desk and beckoned me over. Athen released my sleeve. I stepped over to her; she reached for the pen in the inkwell, gently swatting away the cat's playful swipes at her hand. Rosalie handed me the pen, and I carefully wrote out and signed a note as required.

"Everything appears in order," remarked Rosalie. "Enjoy your day off, Mister Dawson."

"Thank you, Captain."

Rosalie bowed her head in farewell, waving her hand in the direction of the door. Athen and I muttered our goodbyes and followed Oliver as he waited for us by the door.

We left the building and got back out in the street. Children ran around, screaming in laughter, playing various games in their little groups. One young boy collided with my side, almost sending me tumbling over. I caught my balance and looked over to see a familiar face.

"I'm so sorry, Miss! I wasn't looking where I was going, and - "

"Don't worry about it, Kian." I crouched down so I was eye level with him. "Accidents happen."

I heard a quiet, dry laugh come from Oliver.

"Oh, quit it, Dawson," I joked.

"Yeah, about that: there's no way I'm letting you live that down," Oliver grinned.

I scoffed, turning my attention back to Kian.

"Anyways, how's your brother doing? He feeling better?"

"Yes, he's playing over there now!" Kian pointed over to a group of younger children. He called out to his brother, "Callum! Come here for a minute!"

The boy - Callum - waved to his group and jogged over to us. He, like his brother, had dusty blond hair. His pale skin was beginning to gain a rosier blush, having recently been ill.

"This is the girl I told you about," Kian said. "The one who made the medicine for you."

"Nice to meet you." I held out my outstretched hand for Callum to take. "I'm Arietta."

"Hi, I'm Callum," he said and timidly shook my hand. "Thank you for the medicine - I feel loads better now."

"That's alright, Callum. Did your brother tell you he helped me make it?"

"No."

"Well, Kian," I jokingly scolded. "What are we gonna do with you, huh?"

"You did most of it!" Kian giggled.

"Yes, but you did the important work," I said.

"What happened to your face?" Callum stared up at Oliver's bruised cheek.

"She's mean," Oliver pouted. "She beat me up."

"I did not!" I gasped. "You decided to get in the way of my foot!"

"Which was aimed at me." He crossed his arms, smiling.

"Yeah, but only because we were sparring!"

"What's sparring?" Kian asked. "Is it like dancing?"

Oliver answered. "No, it's more like fighting."

"_Pretend_-fighting," I corrected.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's like pretend-fighting. We use sparring in the Guard to train. To keep our skills sharp."

"Our older sister is training to be in the Guard," Kian stated. "Will she do sparring, too?"

"Yep," replied Oliver.

"What're you boys up to over here?" The woman I saw with Kian before walked over to us. She held a large basket laden with fabrics.

She looked around her mid-to-late-thirties, with pale hair and dark, sunken eyes rimmed with countless sleepless nights. Her skin had the fairness expected from someone of the Alaos Islands, but seemed pale to match the bags under here eyes. Regardless of her physical state, her smile was loving like a warm Summer day.

"Mam!" Callum and Kian both ran up to her at full speed and attached themselves to her dress. "This is the girl who showed me how to make Callum's medicine!"

I stood up and smiled at their mother.

"Thank you," she said simply. "My name's Emilia Fraiser; Kian here has told me all about how he helped you make a remedy for Callum."

"Really, it was no problem Mrs. Fraiser."

"Oh, actually, it's Ms." She looked downward with an exhausted expression in her eyes. "I'm divorced."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

_What do I do? Do I say something else? I've just made this really awkward, haven't I?_

Ms. Fraiser nodded. "Come on, Callum, Kian. I've got to drop off these fabrics by three."

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Fraiser," I said.

"Likewise, Miss...?"

"Marescot. Arietta Marescot."

"Thank you again for your help, Miss Marescot."

Callum quietly waved his goodbye, while Kian latched himself onto me in a hug. Once he let go, my ribs felt one poke away from breaking. He skipped off to catch up with his mother and brother, waving back the whole way.

"Seems like you made a new friend there, Ari." Athen swung his arm over my shoulders.

"Seems like I've also got a toddler on my hands, too," I said slyly.

Athen opened his mouth to ask why I said what I did, but I scooped him up in my arms before a single sound left his mouth.

"_Arietta_," he squealed, face glowing red. "_Put me down!_"

"You're definitely heavier than the last time I picked you up!" I laughed. My arm strained and ached.

Athen repeated his demand to be out down, and I complied.

"Why would you even do that?!" Athen covered his face to hide his flaming cheeks. "It's embarrassing!"

"You're my little brother, Athen," I answered flatly, ruffling his oak-coloured hair. "It's my job to embarrass you."

"Well you're certainly doing a great fucking job!"

"Now, now, Athen - watch your language."

"You're one to talk." Oliver folded his arms, smirking.

"I'm an adult, I'm allowed to swear," I defended.

Athen's stomach grumbled loudly; his face went red - again.

"We can carry on with this discussion later," I said. "But let's get some lunch first."

We sat under the shade of an old willow tree, eating pastries and cupcakes from the market square. Athen had his back to the trunk; Oliver and I sat opposite him.

Athen and Oliver talked and laughed. I listened and smiled with the conversation here and there, but I found myself focused on the half-started crown of flowers in my lap. Daisies and buttercups formed the sad ring. I wasn't very good at flower crowns, but I enjoyed making them. I placed the finished crown on my head, noticing a few petals drop in my hands.

Athen stopped mid-sentence and stared. His eyes went wide and he talked with a voice so quiet, I hardly heard it over the wind rustling the leaves.

"Okay," he said. "Don't freak out, Ari, but there's a spider on you."

Now Oliver stared, too.

"Cool. Where?" I asked.

"It's climbing down your arm!"

I looked down. A tiny spider scuttled across my bare arm.

"Do you...want me to get that for you?" Oliver already had his hand raised.

"Don't you dare - either of you."

I picked a blade of grass and held it so the spider could crawl onto it. When it was on, I gently pit the grass down and watched the spider dissappear into nature.

"See? Problem solved," I said, looking over at the other two.

Athen gazed at something behind me. I turned around to see what he was looking at: members of the Royal Guard, marching alongside a carriage branded with the Kingdom's crest.


	5. Across the Riverways

Sat over the edge of my bed, I tried again and again to process what was happening. I closed my eyes and listened to the agitated _thump thump thump_ of my heart, forcing my mind to recall.

Athen, Oliver and I stood awkwardly in the unsettled market square. The Royal Guard dispersed from surrounding the flame-coloured carriage to talking to bystanders. Some apologetically shook their heads and carried on with their buisness, while some others gestured towards my stall.

"You don't suppose this is about what happened with that noble yesterday, do you?" Athen leaned in and whispered to me.

"Gods, I hope not. Do you know anything about this, Oliver?"

Oliver shrugged. "Sorry. My idea's just as good at yours."

"In which case," I said. "We'll just have to find out."

I walked over to the nearest guard and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and regarded me carefully. His iron armour outlined with gold glinted blindingly, even in the overcast light, and he held his spear rigid at his side.

"Sorry to bother you, but may I ask what all of...of this is about...?" I asked timidly.

"We're here on official royal buisness, looking for a Healer. We're told there's one here; name of Marescot." A gruff voice came from the armour's helm. "Do you know where they could be?"

My blood froze like ice. "Yes," I replied. "My name is Arietta Marescot, I'm Lakepine's resident Healer."

"Do you have an identification form?"

"Right here." I dug into my satchel and took out the form for the guard.

The guard handed it back and nodded. "I hear you have an assistant, too?"

"Yes, that would be my brother - Athen."

"Right. I need you and your brother to come with me for a moment, please."

"Of course, sir. I'll go get him."

Athen watched me with worried eyes as I trotted back. "What's going on?"

"Official royal business, apparently. Come on, Athen, the guard wants to talk with us," I tried to assure Athen.

"I'll wait here for you," said Oliver.

"Hopefully, we shouldn't be too long."

I headed back to the guard with Athen just behind me, holding my sleeve tightly.

"Follow me, please," the guard said, nodding to the carriage. We made a beeline through the crowd with the guard in front.

We paused at the carriage door, where the guard motioned for us to stay put for a moment. He knocked a specific rhythm on the door and opened it a fraction. He exchanged a few words with the person inside, all to quiet for me to make out what they were saying. The guard poked his head round the door to talk to me and Athen.

"In here, please."

My hands shook violently and my stomach lurched, but still I carefully climbed into the spacious carriage with Athen close behind. The guard shut the door. We stood silently in the dark space; the only light came from a translucent grey veil covering the window on the far side.

"Have a seat," said a new voice. This was clearly a woman speaking. Her face was hidden in the shadows.

We sat.

The woman talking shifted herself forward. In the faint light, I could see that she wasn't a woman at all, but instead a teenage girl - perhaps sixteen. I had seen her face in portraits and books a hundred times.

"Princess Phoebe Castillo!" I gasped. I immediately lowered my gaze. "Your Highness."

"Please, I must ask of you to not be so formal," she said. "I'm here for...personal reasons."

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I need your help."

"How so?"

The Princess's voice got quieter. "It's my father - I mean, the King. He's very ill and nobody in Imperium knows what to do. The Queen is covering his reign, for now, while my brothers and I are looking for any Healers who can help."

"I may not know much about advanced Healing, but I know all of the standard practices."

"So you'll help?" She leant forward eagerly.

"Of course," I said softly. "About this illness, Your Highness: can you tell me anything about it that I can link to a name? Symptoms and such?"

"Yes, certainly! Let's see, where do I start?" She muttered.

"The King is trying to brush it off as simply a flu virus," she said. "It's got all the same symptoms. But, whenever he tried to move out of bed, he hasn't the energy to make it even a few steps without assistance. What's more, he's pale as death and even if he lightly bumps into a doorframe or wall, he'll start bleeding from nothing."

"Has he coughed up or thown up any blood or anything like that by any chance?" This was all sounding oddly familiar.

"Yes! Yes he has! Do you know what it is?"

"I can't be certain, as I haven't seen his condition first-hand, but I can make an educated guess."

Princess Phoebe said nothing, silently urging me on.

I just said it quick, wanting to get it over with. "It's Logamas."

The Princess looked like she'd been slapped.

"I think I've heard of that," she whispered. "But, how? I haven't known of any cases within the Capital that occurred outside of the national outbreak seven years ago!"

"There's been a few instances here in Lakepine. This town is near a large fresh water supply, with plenty of vegetation and animals to keep Logamas around. There's less of that in Imperium. The only reason I can think of as to _how_ the King got infected is that a bird or a bat or something along those lines brought it over."

"And you're absolutely sure that's it's Logamas?" Princess Phoebe's eyes were wide and shining with tears yet to fall.

"As much as I hate to say it, I'm sure of it," I spoke kindly.

"Can you cure it?" Her voice sounded on the verge of hysteria.

"I'm afraid not," I answered. "But, treating the symptoms properly cam make it more manageable."

"Thank you," she breathed. She took both of my hands in hers tightly. "Thank you so much."

I nodded quietly.

"We need you to come to the palace," she pleaded. "You're the only one we've found who knows what can be done. Will you?"

_How can I say no?_ I thought.

"I will."

This time she hugged me. I gently wrapped an arm around her, not knowing what else to do. She suddenly let go and jumped back, trying to regain her composure.

"I'll send someone to collect you at the end of the month," stated the Princess. "Is that enough time for you to make any arrangements in regards to your buisness and property?"

"It's plenty of time."

"Wonderful. I'll write to you a week or so in advance."

"Thank you, Your Highness." I bowed my head.

"No," she said. "It's _me_ who should be thanking _you_, Miss Marescot. You and your brother both."

Princess Phoebe shuffled over to the door and knocked the same pattern that the guard had. The door opened and Athen slid out first and the Princess smiled at me in farewell as I followed.

I felt blinded for a moment as I stepped out of the dark carriage. The sky had cleared some, but clouds still covered most of the blue.

"We're really going to go?" Athen asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"I can't believe it. The King - infected with _Logamas_ of all things?"

"It could happen to anyone," I reasoned, more for myself than Athen.

We spotted Oliver over by a bakery stall, talking with Darren and another man (dark-skinned, hair cut extremely short - almost bald) holding a little girl. Oliver noticed us and came striding over to meet us halfway. Darren and the other man followed suit.

"What's going on?" The other man spoke first.

"I don't know how much I can say." I shook my head uncertainly. "But I _can _tell you that it's got nothing to do with the incident with that nobleman."

"Can you tell us why they wanted to talk to you?" Oliver piped up.

"Not here, there's too many people."

"What about the tree? It's quiet there," offered Athen. We each nodded our agreement.

The six of us returned to the spot under the willow tree atop the rolling hill. Myself, Athen, Oliver, Darren and Darren's husband, Tyler, all sat in a close circle in the grass. The sixth, Ffion, stood behind me. Her caramel brown curls fell about her matching eyes as she focused on playing with my hair, sticking random flowers and blades of grass through messy plaits of her own creation, as any four-year-old would.

"So, what you're saying -" Tyler rubbed the stubble on his chin. "- is that you have to go to Imperium, because there's been a case of Logamas infecting a person of importance, and nobody has any idea of what to do."

"Essentially, yes," I said.

"Do you know how long you'll be gone for?" Oliver asked.

"No," I admitted. "All I know is that we're going at the end of the month. I assume we'll be gone for some time, considering that Logamas needs almost constant attention to make it even remotely manageable."

"We'll definitely have our work cut out for us," said Athen.

That sparked a thought. Were we even qualified for this? Yes, Athen and I worked in a medical profession, but we rarely had _anything_ as important as this. The few cases of Logamas we had treated were in the early stages; by the sound of things, the King's case was definitely in the later stages.

"Done!" Ffion exclaimed. She threw her arms around my neck, jumping up and down. "Can I have a piggy back ride?"

A knock on the front door made me leap out of my memory and back to reality. I raced down the stairs, heart hammering in my chest and stomach churning like waves moments from crashing onto the beach.

Athen watched me anxiously as I made for the door. His typical bed-head-style chocolate brown hair had been brushed down neatly. He fiddled with the buttons on his grey waistcoat as I tugged up the neckline of my teal dress.

Another knock.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and opened the little wooden door.

A short, stout woman, clad in the same iron armour as the guard from before, stood outside. Her onyx hair (streaked with a few pale hairs) was held back in a tight bun. When she smiled, her brown face became creased; overall, she had the look a friendly grandmother.

"Do you have everything you need, dear?" She asked.

"I think so," I said. "Um...what do we do about our bags?" I added, glancing at the small carriage waiting just behind her.

"Oh, don't worry about that, we'll bring those in a separate cart for you. Now - let's get going, shall we?" The woman skipped off to the carriage, Athen and I following behind.

She opened the door for us; I shifted my satchel higher on my shoulder, hearing the faint crumpling of various letters from Oliver, Darren and Tyler, and Princess Phoebe (and the letter from the mystery author), and climbed in.

Although it was the end of May, and the sunny weather was slowly beginning to settle in, this afternoon was as chilly as it was overcast. I drew my indigo cardigan closer around me and Athen huddled closer to me.

"Hello." A boy sat opposite us (though I'm not sure if "boy" was the right term - he looked around twenty or so); his copper-blond hair grazed just past his ear lobes and his amber-hued eyes regarded us with friendly curiosity. "I take it you're Arietta and Athen Marescot?"

"Yes," I said. "And you are...?"

"Oh! How rude of me!" The boy rubbed his clean-shaven cheek with one hand and held out the other. "Zachary Henderson. I'm sorry, I'd have thought that the Princess would have told you that I was coming to collect you."

"It's quite alright. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Henderson."

I made to shake his hand, but instead he gently held my fingers and placed a light peck on my knuckles. "The pleasure is mine," he said. "And, please, call me Zach."

I could have kicked myself for blushing.

Zack shook hands with Athen before leaning back, straightening his navy tie. The carriage jolted slightly as we started moving.

"So," Zach started. "You're the only Healers in Lakepine?"

"Yes. The last Healer - Clifford Jubert - died in the outbreak."

"You knew Cliff?"

"He was a good friend of my father's. After both my parents moved away, he took me and Athen in, trained us as Healers," I said quietly. "You knew him, too?"

"Cliff often popped in to see us at the palace if he was in Imperium. Almost always had something new to talk about: whether it was a new invention of his, or just what he'd been up to."

I quietly nodded my agreement and turned to look out the window while Zach eagerly struck up a cheerful conversation with Athen.

We had taken the road that ran along the outskirts of town, caressing the lake and the river that cascaded away from it. Even from here, I could hear the rush of the waterfall as is fed the lake from the opposite end; a thin vapour rolled lazily around the plunge pool, before reaching out across the surface like snakes.

Further ahead, up in the mountains, the road disappeared into a thick haze of clouds. There was no chance of getting through that pass safely.

"We aren't taking the Falcon Trail, if that's what you're worried about." Zach must have seen the uncertainty in my eyes. "We'll be going under the mountains, along the Riverways."

"I didn't know there was a road passing _under_ the mountains," Athen said, slack-jawed.

"Then I'm guessing you don't know about the one that runs under that lake over there," said Zach.

"There's a road _under the lake? _That's impossible!"

"He's teasing you, Athen." I ruffled his hair, sending it back to the unorganized mess it was this morning.

"Am I, Arietta?"

"There's no way there can be a working road under the lake."

Zach nodded to the grey-blue water.

A figure stood hunched over the shore. They raised their arms, and their long, pale hair formed a halo-like swirl above their head. The water nearest to them slowly lifted like a weary head, and regarded the person for a moment before opening its mouth to let them through. Once inside, the mouth closed, and the head rested in the sandy bed again.

I turned back to Zach. "That's not a road, it's more like a front door."

"Oh?" He chuckled. "How do you know?"

"That's Grandy Kamryn. They're basically Lakepine's adoptive grandparent - so everyone calls them Grandy; everyone knows them!" Athen said in disbelief.

"Still doesn't explain how you'd know that as a front door rather than a road."

"_Everyone's_ visited Grandy Kamryn at least once, they live under the lake."

"Alright, alright," sighed Zach. "You win."

We continued the rest of the journey chatting away about anything and everything, mainly talking about the city.

"So -" I shifted in my seat. "- what do you do, Zach?"

"I'm a bit of a pioneer in the way of science and technology," he said.

"Like an inventor?"

"Pretty much. I'm working on ways to improve the efficiency of medicine, you know, given the issue at hand."

"How're you planning on doing that?" Athen quirked an eyebrow.

"Apparatus that's more accurate, equipment that's easier to transport while still maintaining full functionality, et cetera," Zach explained. "There's been a few setbacks with practical testing due to a few... miscalculations - but progress _is_ being made!"

"Progress is progress," I agreed.


	6. Royal Inconveniences

# Chapter 6 - Royal Inconveniences

The grey palace walls stood tall and proud on the edge of the city, and towering over that still the giant glass dome above the centre of it all reflected the sun's muted light like a beacon. As the carriage rattled along the cobbled highstreet, people stopped to watch and occasionally wave. Zach sometimes waved back, but I tried to stay out of the people's view by leaning myself up against the the interior wall.

"I hate big crowds," I grumbled.

"You get used to it," Zach said. "Eventually."

"Oh, yeah?" My leg started bouncing nervously. "And how long is that - roughly?"

"Took me about a week; it takes time."

"One _week_?" Athen and I both shot Zach a unified incredulous look.

"That's what I said, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We clearly have very different definitions of 'eventually'."

"Oh?" Zach chuckled, propping his elbow on the frame of the window and resting his lightly stubbled chin on the heel of his hand. "Then how do _you _define it, sweetheart?" 

I caught myself before I outwardly cringed.

"A month, at least."

"Funny. I would describe that as a century."

"I'm talking from a medical point of view, not a scientific one."

"But it's basically the same thing though, right? Medicine and engineering science? Both involve...making stuff."

"May Ogen give a swift and painless demise to anyone left in your medical care." Athen shook his head.

"What?" Zach's expression looked abashed and somewhat crestfallen. "No, it - it's still really similar, isn't it?"

I wasn't sure whether I should take pity him and his limited scope, or drive my head through the window. The latter seemed very inviting at this point.

Athen and I spent the rest of the carriage ride to the palace explaining to Zach exactly why medicine is *not* similar to engineering science. He was still scratching his head about it when the kindly guard from this morning opened the door for us in the palace courtyard.

She sent another iron-clad guard marching to the main entrance, where they paused to speak with another guard (this one wore armour identical to the other). The two disappeared inside, and the first guard came striding up to us.

"If you'd like to come with me, dears. We'll await Her Majesty in the entrance hall."

"Thank you very much, miss." I bowed my head a little.

"Yes, yes, thank you, Tania." Zach patted her shoulder. "But I can take Miss Marescot and her brother."

"Firstly, young Zachary, it's Senior Officer Madel to you," she said in a warning tone. "And secondly, Princess Phoebe personally requested that I accompany them inside."

Zach stood up straighter. "Very well. I suppose if Phoebe's adamant about it. I have experiments to work on anyways." He began to walk away, waving absent-mindedly, and Tania Madel called after him.

"The princess may be your cousin, but it's still customary to refer to her title!"

She sighed heavily and turned back to me and Athen. "I am so sorry about that. You see, Master Zachary likes to…show-off around guests."

"It's quite alright, miss Madel," Athen said, offering a bright smile.

"Just Madel is fine, mister Marescot. Now, let's get going, shall we?"

Madel led us under the towering carved stone archway and inside the main entrance hall, where she and two palace staff fussed over us, insisting we leave our outdoor jackets with them at the door, and they'd take our luggage to our rooms for us. Out of habit, Athen and I frantically offered to help, but they were persistent in their tasks. We let them take our jackets and the two staff scuttled away, leaving the three of us alone.

The hall itself was no less grand than the rest of the palace: dark wooden floors polished so finely it felt like a crime to stand on it, emerald green marble panelled the bottom metre-or-so of the walls. Above that, more marble - this time a pale grey - curved up to form the arched ceiling, high enough to make me feel dizzy just by looking up. Matching pillars lined the walls. Stained glass vases filled with various blooming flowers sat on small tables each side of the pillars. Glass chandeliers illuminated the room, giving it the effect of having rainbow-coloured freckles. Two large oak doors lay at the opposite end of the hall. Somewhere, a piano's beautifully sweet melody drifted around the room like an Autumn leaf atop a lake's surface.

The two guards returned, followed by a tall woman of indescribable beauty. Her grey eyes held all the same colour and strength and resilience as the stone walls outside, but they were not as cold; they had a certain cozy, familiar type of warmth about them. Her coal black hair was coloured a subtle sapphire blue at the ends and draped elegantly over her shoulder in a neat plat. Her face was soft in shape and lightly made up. She wore a burgundy off-shoulder style dress that pooled and trailed around her on the wooden floor. Her hands were expertly folded low in front of her.

One of the guards stepped forward. "Her Royal Highness, Queen Lydia Castillo the Third."

I dipped into a curtsy while Athen bent forward into a low bow.

"Arietta and Athen Marescot," Queen Lydia stated. Her voice was smoother than silk, echoing around the room as if we were standing in an opera house instead of the palace's entrance hall. "Healers of Lakepine."

Slowly, Athen and I stood up straight. From the corner of my eye, I saw Athen fidgeting anxiously with the cuffs of his sleeves.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'd like us to get started as soon as possible. If you would follow me, please, I'll introduce you to the others." She waved a hand, dismissing the guards, and began striding back to the oak doors at the end of the hall.

"Others, Your Majesty?" I asked. It came out far quieter than I thought it would, the words sticking to my throat like sap on a tree. Athen quickly took hold of my arm as we trotted along behind the Queen.

"Yes," she replied. "I do apologize - Phoebe must have forgotten to mention it in her letters."

Queen Lydia led us through the palace, twisting around corners and through doors left and right. Up winding staircases, and through more hallways like the one we stood in before, but these high walls were crafted from a dark brick-red marble instead of grey. Up ahead, the sound of the piano grew louder. I heard voices mixed within the music, laughing, joking. We paused before a door where the music and laughter became loudest. I noticed Queen Lydia get tense in her shoulders; she took a deep breath to make herself relax. When she spoke now, she was quiet, almost as though she was trying to hide.

"When we enter this room, I shall introduce you two. Over the course of your recruitment here, you will be working with other Healers from across the nation, simply because you never officially completed your training. That is correct, isn't it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied. "Our mentor passed before we could qualify."

Queen Lydia nodded in acknowledgement and slowly pushed open the door.

The piano melody immediately became quieter, but the talking continued on. At the grand piano sat a boy, a little older than Athen, perhaps. He had the same bronze hair as Princess Phoebe. Queen Lydia stepped over to him and whispered something in his ear. The boy froze and played the wrong key before jumping up and staring round wildly at us. Athen took hold of my sleeve. Queen Lydia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, guiding him over to us.

The other people in the room still continued their conversations and jokes as though nothing else was happening. Nobody even so much as spared a glance when the piano stopped.

"My eldest son, Prince Jayden," Queen Lydia introduced. She turned to her son. "Jayden, these are the Healers from Lakepine, Arietta and Athen Marescot."

Prince Jayden shook my hand firmly, then Athen's (I couldn't help but notice that he held Athen's grip for a moment longer than necessary).

"Thank you," he said hoarsely, nearly a whisper. "Thank you so much for coming. I can't express enough how much it means to my family and I that -"

"E'scuse me, Your Majesty," slurred a older man. His face was tinted red and the smell of alcohol sat stubbornly on his breath. I couldn't quite stop myself from wrinkling my nose at the pungent stink. "But may I…inquire into…where the music's gone?"

Queen Lydia leaned in and whispered, "We'll have to reschedule the meeting; Myers is drunk again. Jayden, please take the Marescots to see your father, I'll be there in a short while."


End file.
